Ophthalmic mounting



Feb. 8, 1944. E. M, SPLAINEQ 2,341,338

OPHTHALMIC MOUNTINQ Originai Filed June 29, 1938 I2- 13 z m m 1; Par I Z,/. Z 7 27 INVENT R EDWARD msmmmz AT RNEY Patented Feb. 8, 1944 OPHTHALMIC MOUNTING Edward M. Splaine, Southbridge, Mass, assignor to American Optical Company, Southbridge, Mass., a voluntary association of Massachusetts Original application June 29, 1938, Serial No.

216,532. Divided and this application September 15, 1941, Serial No. 410,862

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ophthalmic mountings and has particular reference to improved means of making the same.

This application is a division of my copending' application, Serial No. 216,532, filed June 29, 1938 now issued as Patent No. 2,255,831.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a novel rimless type ophthalmic mounting having temple supporting means connected adjacent the attachments of the bridge member to the lenses and which are shaped to extend substantially throughout the upper contour edges of the lenses and to which the temples are pivotally attached adjacent the upper temporal edges of the lenses and has particular reference to making the same whereby the said temple supports will have a relatively rigid and durable connection at their points of attachment to said mounting.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means of assembling and securing the supporting parts of the mounting together.

Another object is to provide a construction and assembly of parts of an ophthalmic mounting having the above characteristics whereby the said parts may be joined by a single soldering operation.

Another object is to provide a construction and assembling and joining of the parts of ophthalmic mountings having the above characteristics together whereby the said temple supporting means may be simultaneously connected with the lens straps and nose bearing pad supporting means of such mountings. j

Another object is to provide a construction and assembling and joining of the parts of ophthalmic mountings having the above characteristics together whereby the said temple supporting means may be attached to the lens straps, nose bearing pad supporting means and ends of the bridge member to provide a relatively rigid, durable and compact attachment where the parts-may be all joined together simultaneously or separately connected with each other.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means of joining together the partsof an'ophthalmic mounting having the above characteristics whereby the bridge sizes standardized in the art may be used in forming such mountings.

Another object is to provide an ophthalmic mounting of the above character with lens means resiliently supported to relieve shock and strainthereon during .use.

should become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and it will be apparent that. many changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims. I, therefore, do not wish to be lim-- ited to the exact details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described as the preferred form only has been given by way of illustration.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. I is a front elevation of an ophthalmic mounting embodying the invention.

and lens supporting means so formed that the major portion of said supporting means is positioned above the useful field of-side vision with the said supporting means free from direct connection with the lenses.

Ophthalmic mountings of the above nature are not basically new in the art as many different at-' tempts have been made to form such mountings,

particularly mountings having semi-rim sections fitting about the upper contour edges of the lenses and to which the temples are connected. Difficulty, however, was encountered in the construetion of some of such mountings, particularly those of the type disclosed herein, in providing a positive, rigid and durable connection of the temple supporting means with the associated parts of the mounting so that the said temple supports will maintain a desired relation with the lenses during use. Difficulty was also encountered in the process of manufacture, that is, in providing a construction which couldbe quickly and easily assembled and be rigidly and positivelysecured together. Another difficulty'with some of such prior art mountings was in maintaining the bridge sizes to the standards set up in the art and which control the fit of the mounting with the nose and position the optical centers of the lenses in proper of the pupilsof the eyes of the wearer.

-It; therefore, is one of the primaryobjects of relation with the. centers the invention to provide a construction of ophthalmic mounting having temple supporting means which are shaped substantially to the upper contour shape of the lenses and which have no positive connection with the lenses whereby the said parts of the mounting may be quickly, easily and positively assembled and secured in desired relation with each other so as to durably maintain the temple supporting means in desired relation with the lenses and yet relieve shock and strain on the lenses during the use of -the mounting.

Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views, the device embodying the invention comprises broadly a pair of lenses I connected to a bridge member 2 by suitable lens straps 3. The lens straps .3 have a pivotal connection 4 with the lens and are provided with resilient means 5 for limiting 'the pivotal movement of the lens about saidpivotal connection and for relieving shock and strain on the'lenses during use of the mounting. Relatively long and slender temple supports 6, shaped to substantially the same contour shape as the upper contour edges of the lenses and to lie in the rear of the plane of said lenses, are secured, as illustrated, to the rear of the lens straps '3 and to the sides of the nose pad supporting means or arms I, as illustrated at 8. The relatively long andslender :temple supports 6 may be attached to the lens straps 3 and nose pad supporting arms I by soft or hard soldering, or by welding and are provided adjacent their opposite :ends with outwardly and rearwardly deflected portions 9 having a pivotal connection ID with the temples ll.

The long and slender temple supports .5 may be formed of rigid, pliable,-ductile or resilient material or may have-portions thereof possessing one or more of said characteristics. For-example, the portion IQ of said supports 6 adjacent the nasal edges of the lenses mightbe formed relatively rigid; the intermediate portion I3 shaped substantially to the upper contour shape of the lenses might be formed resilient and the outwardlyand-rearwardly deflected end 9 formed ductile or'pliable. This arrangement would provide sufficient strength and rigidity adjacentithe end of the arm connected to the lens straps 3 and nose pad supporting arms I, as illustrated, and yet permit the intermediate portion [3 to flex slightly to remove strain at said connection 8 when'the mounting is being positioned on or removedfrom -the face with the said ductile or pliable po'rtio'n being suificiently adjustable to decrease or increase thedistance between the temples to' meet the requirements as to the widths of thefac'es of different individuals.

InFig. III, there is illustrated an assembly construction wherein the ends of the temple supports 6' are provided with a reduced angled portion 42, shaped to lie between the end 20 of the bridge and the portion of the strap 3 which overlies'th'e'edge of the lens. 'In this instance the portion 42 is sandwiched between the portion 20 and the edge portion of the lens strap 3 and the nose padsupporting arm! is provided with a portion 33 sandwiched between an overlyingportion 44 of the end'20 and the deflected portion .42

of the lower end 4|, of the temple support -:6.

assembled parts may be connected by soft soldering, hard soldering Or by welding as desired.

In the remaining structure, such as shown in Fig. III, the lens straps have a rigid connection with the lenses, that is, there is no space between the edge of the lens and the portion of the lens strap overlying said edge. It is to be understood, however, that the lens straps illustrated in Fig. 111 may be provided with resilient means as desired and may be fitted to the lenses so that the edge portions thereof are in spaced relation with the lenses. It is also to be understood that any suitable typeof connecting means known in the art may be used with all of said structures.

In practice, the temple supporting portions 6 are preferably adjusted to follow the upper edge contour shape of the lenses in a plane in the rear of said edges. The temple support-s each have a portion I2 shaped substantially to the inner edge portion of a respective lens and which extends downwardly substantially to the center line 'of the lens and each have an outwardly, downwardly and rearwardly extending portion 9 'adjacentthe upper temporal edge of the lens. It willbe-noted that the said temple supports 6 have a central portion I3 arching upwardly about a relatively long radius Q6 and blending into an arc of a. shorter radius 4'! connecting the depending portions l2 with the portions l3 with the said portions lying in a planesubstantiallyparallelwith the plane of the rear surfaces of the lenses and blending into an :arc, ofqa shorter radius 48 than either of thelfirst mentioned radii, connecting'the rearwardly extending portion 9 withthe intermediate portion l3.

The rearwardly extending portions 9 have upper and lower surfaces and side surfaces which blend with and are substantially flush with the adjacent connected end 'of the temple when the temple is in extended'positionof use. The temple engaging ends of the arms 9 or portions thereof having pivotal connections with said temples have-a cross sectional dimension which-is greater than that of the portions of said arms-9 which blend into the intermediate portions I3 of the temple-supports 6. There is a continuously .decreasing inward taper from the pivotal connection ID to the intermediate portion l3 substantially throughout 'the'length of theportionB so that the parts have'apleasing blended relation with each other.

Although applicant has shown and described the temple supports 6 as'being shapedtollieinla plane in the rear of the plane of thelenses'the said supports maybe shapedysubstantiallytoithe upper contour shape ofthe lenses "and to 'lie substantially in the plane-of the lenses.

From the foregoing description-it .will be .seen that simple, efficient and economical; means have been provided for accomplishing all :of the objects and advantages of-the invention, ;particularly that of providing the temple supportsilens straps, nose pad supporting arms and bridge member with a relatively-positive and durable connection whereby-the said parts'will berheldi'in desired assembled relation with each *other'xiuring use and whichwill enablethe saidipartsto be quickly and easily assembled'andsecureddniisaid relation.

Having described my invention, I claimi 1. A lens supporting.structuretforzthe.lensesof an ophthalmic -mounting, said :lens -supporting structure comprising lens sholding:means :having a portion shaped to overlie a side isurface o'f 'the 1 lens a d a p rtion shaped to overlie-an edgef the lens, relatively long and slender temple supports having a portion shaped to follow substan tially the upper contour shape of the lens when associated therewith and having a temple connection adjacent the outer temporal end thereof and a portion shaped to overlie and secured to the edge portion of the lens holding means, a bridge member having side portions each shaped to overlie the adjacent end of the relatively long and slender temple support with a portion thereof secured to said support and with a portion thereof spaced from said support and a nose pad supporting arm having a portion secured in said space between the adjacent end of said long and.

slender temple support and the spaced portion of the adjacent end of the bridge member with the end of said arm concealed from the front by the joined portions of the side of the bridge and said temple support.

2'. An ophthalmic mounting comprising a pair of lenses and a lens supporting structure, said lens supporting structure comprising lens holding means having a portion shaped to overlie a side surface of the lens and a portion shaped to overlie an edge of the lens, relatively long and slender temple supports having a portion shaped to follow substantially the upper contour shape of the lens and having a temple connection adjacent the outer temporal end thereof and a portion shaped to overlie and secured to the edge portion of the lens holding means, a bridge member having side portions each shaped to overlie the adjacent end of the relatively long and slender temple support with a portion thereof secured to said support and with a portion thereof spaced from said support and a nose pad supporting arm having a portion secured in said space between the adjacent end of said long and slender temple support and the spaced portion of the adjacent end of the bridge member with the end of said arm concealed from the bront by the joined por tions of the side of the bridge and the temple support.

3. A lens supporting structure for the lenses of an ophthalmic mounting, said lens supporting structure comprising lens holding means having a portion shaped to overlie a side surface of the lens and a portion shaped to overlie an edge of the lens, relatively long and slender temple support-s each having a portion shaped to follow substantially the upper contour shape of 2. respective lens of the ophthalmic mounting when associated therewith and having a temple connection adjacent the outer temporal end thereof and a forwardly deflected portion adjacent the nasal end thereof shaped to overlie and secured to the edge portion of the lens holding means, a bridge member having side portions each shaped to overlie the forwardly deflected end of the respective relatively long and slender temple support with a portion thereof secured to said support and with a portion thereof spaced from said support and nose pad supporting arms each having a portion secured in said space between the adjacent end of the long and slender temple support and the spaced portion of the adjacent end of the bridge member with the end of said arm concealed from the front bythe joined portions of the side of the bridge and the temple support.

4. An ophthalmic mounting comprising a pair of lenses and a lens supporting structure for said lenses, said lens supporting structure comprising lens holding means having a portion shaped to overlie a side surface of the lens and a portion shaped to overlie an edge of the lens, relatively long and slender temple supports each having a portion shaped to follow substantially the upper contour shape of the lens and having a temple connection adjacent the outer temporal end thereof, and a forwardly deflected portion adjacent the nasal end thereof shaped to overlie and secured to the edge portion of the lens holding means, a bridge member having side portions each shaped to overlie the forwardly deflected end of the respective relatively long and slender temple support with a portion thereof secured to said support and with a portion thereof spaced from said support and nose pad supporting arms each having a portion secured in said space between the adjacent end of the long and slender temple support and the spaced portion of the adjacent end of the bridge member with the end of said arm concealed from the front by the joined portions of the side of the bridge and the temple support.

EDWARD M. SPLAINE. 

